Appraisal Considerations

Choices that affect a CMMI-based appraisal include the following:

• Establishing the appraisal scope, including the organizational entity to be appraised, the CMMI process areas to be investigated, and the maturity level or capability level(s) to be appraised

• Selecting the appraisal method

• Selecting the appraisal team members

• Selecting appraisal participants from the appraisal entities to be interviewed

• Establishing appraisal outputs (e.g., ratings, instantiation-specific findings)

• Establishing appraisal constraints (e.g., time spent on site)

The SCAMPI Method Definition Document allows the selection of predefined options for use in an appraisal. These appraisal options are designed to help organizations align CMMI with their business needs and objectives.

Documentation of CMMI appraisal plans and results must always include a description of the appraisal options, model scope, and organizational scope selected. This documentation confirms whether an appraisal meets the requirements for benchmarking.